Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John 14:27.
The text before us speaks clearly of two kinds of peace – the peace of God in Christ Jesus and the peace the world offers unto his own. As children of God, we are not of this world, so the origin, applications and maintenances of our peace is not earthly, but spiritual and eternal.
Because God’s spirit is the source of the peace of his people, the exercises of it should be by the appllication the scripture: second it should also be through the indwelling fruit of the spirit which speaks of the permanence of believer’s peace in the Lord as long as he’s cultivating and applying the fruit of the spirit in every situation and circumstance to keep his hearts and minds continually in a peaceful state or mood.
The composition of the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, there is no excuse for any believer not to abide within the rules of the kingdom, if they are to abide in God who is their righteousness, their exceeding joy, and their shalom – peace. Romans 14:17.
For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. 1 Peter 3:10-12.
Should you not seek for peaceful co-existence in worship with your brothers and sisters in Christ if you notice any change of unwelcome ambience in their midst? When you bring your gift to the altar, but you noticed that his or her countenance has changed towards you? Yes, you should be at peace with another. Matthew 5:23-25.
The believer should live a peaceably and quiet life as commanded by the scripture. Though he’s a child of God, being a peacemaker, he should not by curiosity, or by talkative spirit, or by the lack of self control intrude into strife he was not led by the spirit of God to settle, lest he becomes like someone who holds the dog by its ears to get a bite – like one who takes a dog by the ears, so is he who passes by and meddles with strife not belonging to him. Proverbs 26:17.
Is our Lord not the prince of peace, but did he honored an invitation to divide the inheritance in a family to avoid strife among them? Luke 12:14. No, he turned down the invitation. Should we, in the name of seeking peace with all men, loose our sense of reasoning as to what is good, acceptable and perfect will of God?
The born again Christian should live daily on the promises of God: one of them is the peace he promised to give them always by all means as long as they are walking and living within the bonds, scopes and composition of scripture and kingdom’s principles of peace. God will do whatever it takes to give and maintain the peace of his children – Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all. 2 Thessalonians 3:16.
This is one of the reasons a child of God should never be moved or troubled by the things happening in the world. He should not become restless by what he is going through (for ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off. Isaiah 55:12-13) or by the ignorance of scripture, or by the calamities and evil which are befalling the world, – the beginning of her sorrow. If his mind is stayed and fully trusted in his God, he will be kept in the position of a perfect peace in the Lord his shalom, for the Lord will be his confidence – thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusted in thee. Isaiah 23:6.
The necessity of peace, its power and wisdom: its present and eternal reward in the life of a believer.
Let the peace of God rule in your heart to the which you are called, and be ye thankful. Colossians 3:15.
Your peace with God is the most important thing in the world for eternity, for you must be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless, (2 Peter 3:14): meaning, uphold the standard set up by God in his word, do not add or remove anything from the scripture, keep the fire burning: (b) walk and live in holiness, perfecting holiness in the fear of God: (c) keep yourself unspotted from the world. James 1:27. Note: only the false brethren, who seek for their place and peace with the world, will respect and corroborate her ungodly system and ways of life for her approval and acceptance, unlike the Lord who was hated by the world, because he testified concerning it, that its works are evil. John 7:7.
Whatever the enemy throws at you, it is designed to steal or destroy your peace in God. Whatever the scoff, persecutions, mistreatments and any other things the world may throws at you, they are the calculated attempts against your present and future peace in the Lord, but blessed is he that shall not be offended in Christ.
The believer’s peace is of the inward man. Its continuation and enormous degree is not on the false security of what can be touched, seen or possessed, because its foundation is in the righteousness of God, and not on any outward progress, success or blessing. His peace is on the fondness, love and embrace of the entire body of truth – great peace have they that love your law, nothing shall offend them.
Though, a Christain can be evidently troubled on every side, but he’s not distressed or upset (2 Corinthians 4:8) because he is cultivating fruit of the spirit- quieteness within him: he will speak to his soul, why are you cast down, O my soul, why are you disquieted within me, hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise him, who is the help of my countenance and my God.
His submissive love to the sovereignty of God has brought him into a position of complete trust, leading up to a permanent peaceful relationship, until God show up for his situation. Do you have a peaceful relationship with God? What is this peaceful relationship with God all about?
As a believer, in all that concerns your humanitarian operations in any relationship (s), you should not do anything through murmuring, disputing, strife in the heart, or for vainglory, – the wisdom from heaven is peaceable. James 3:17. If you are not at peace within yourself for what you are doing to help others, it means that you are you not at peace with God, and your work is wasted, if that should be the case. Are you not God’s workmanship created for ever good works?
Is your account on earth, your services and good works; are they unto God or unto men? Whatever you do [whatever your task may be], work from the soul [that is, put in your very best effort], as [something done] for the Lord and not for men. Colossians 3:23. Why should your works be with grumbling and disputing, murmuring and complaining? Philippians 2:14. The presence and manifestations of such spirit in you disqualify you of God’s peace and acceptance for his wrath and destruction – neither should you murmur as some of them murmured and were destroyed by the destroyer. 1 Corinthians 10:10.
In the present of fear, whatever the fear is, apart from the reverential fear of God, there shall be no peace, except you live in the knowledge that nothing happens, except what he orders or allows – good or bad, so that you keep staying and growing in the peace of God: (c) peaceful relationship with God consists of sowing the fruit of righteousness in peace of them that know and keep peace. This speaks of an implicit obedience to the word of God – o that thou has hearkened to my commandments! Then had thy peace been as a river and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea: thy seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels like the gravel thereof; his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me. Isaiah 48:18. James 3:18.
The incompatibility of peace with sinners in zion – church, and with the sinners in Babylon – the world
Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14.
Two things are said to be followed after here, – peace and holiness with all men, either with believers in the church or among the unbelievers in the world. Submit to every ordinances (godly – common sense law) of man for the Lord and peace sake, but not to follow or seek for peace with anyone (believer or unbeliever) at the expense of holiness and against the written word; it doesn’t work with God like this. Neither should you follow holiness without peace, in fact, wherever there is holiness in those who are submissive to divine chastisement to partake in God’s purity, you’ll find peace – great peace, both in it’s highway, because his saints know how to walk and live in the way of peace, and in their habitations because the voices of joy and triumphing shall be heard in the tabernacle of the righteous – thou shall be hid from the scourge of the tongue: neither shall thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh. At destruction and famine thou shall laugh: neither shall thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth. For thou shall be in league with the stones of the field: and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee. And thou shall know that thy tabernacle shall be in peace; and thou shall visit thy habitation, and shall not sin. Job 5:21-24.
There is a peace of God given as a gift when we are justifed by faith through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1. There is another peace, the manifestation of his divine nature working in us as a fruit of his indwelling spirit. No one can have the second, except they first come to peace with God repentance by the atonement of the blood of the blood Jesus Christ.
The peace we have with God is expected is to be extended and shared with others, if they want it (when you enter a house, first say, peace to this house. If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you. Luke 10:5): no one should be allowed to inject your fruit of peace with the poison of their wicked and resteless life, avoid such, – let no man trouble me, for I bear in my body, the marks of our Lord Jesus Christ. Galatians 6:16.
If I am commanded to be careful for nothing in regards to my personal need and other cares, so that the peace of God, which is more than human’s comprehension should keep my mind and heart in Christ Jesus, so why should I tolerate anyone to trouble the peace of my Israel in God for whatever reason or purpose? Have we not been called unto peace? 1 Corinthians 7:15.
Which would you have, peace or understanding ? You can’t have both. Therefore, allow the peace of God to lead you where human understanding can never go and to keep your heart and mind in a place where not ammount of money cannot buy. If I ignored instructions to keep the central blessing of my calling which is the peace with God, the peace i received from his spirit, it means that the gift of peace given me is not precious in my sight. Why should I allowed that which troubles and take away the sleep and peace of the people of the world to trouble, take or steal away my peace in Christ Jesus? Is not the Lord not anymore my hiding place where I may continually resort? Are not his word my power and comfort and my peace in my pilgrimage? Psalms 119: 50.
The works of righteousness is peace, quietness and assurance forever. Isaiah 32:17. As a child of God, you should laugh at destruction and mock at fear whenever you see them, for you are safe and secure under his arm. Why should you be moved, when you see the rewards of the wicked with your eyes? It shall not be well with the wicked, neither will they have peace or rest, not now or in eternity – mark the perfect man, and behold the upright, the end of that man is peace. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off. Psalms 37:37.
There is a spiritual legitimacy and protocol for peace to follow with others. You must (a) first seek to bring others to peace with God through repentance from sin and conversion to a new life in Christ Jesus, before you seek for any mutual relationship with them – and it came to pass, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, Is it peace, Jehu? And he answered, what peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many? 2 Kings 9:22:
(b) follow peace with those who know the way of peace: avoid or go away from those does not want peace, lest they destroy your peace, for the way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace. Isaiah 59:8.
Christ bring sword and division (strong hatred and separation between family members because of truth and light), but not peace on earth for all men. Matthew 10:34. Sometimes, the persecution get physical that the unrighteous will separate you from their company because of your beliefs and righteous living, but the only way to force peace with the ungodly is to pretentiuosly and deceitfuly accept their already judged and condemned ways of life before God.
Those who speaks and judges righteously and practices righteousness at all times and wages their war in righteousness cannot afford to debase themselves in the sight of God by lowering the scale of his righteous judgment, ways and life in the name of peace with sinners, either in the church or in the world. The standard and intergrity of God’s word must be strictly upheld if we are to sanctify his holy name in all word and deed.
How foolish and eternally dangerous to seek peace (by unequally yoked. 2 Corinthians 6:14-18) with those whom the Lord has indignation continually – God is angry with the wicked (sinners) everyday. Psalms 7:11.
The fearful believers are afraid of been persecuted or called by funny names in the world for righteousness sake (Matthew 5:10), such are cursed and not blessed, by not upholding and contending for the faith as it was once delivered unto the saints. Jude 1:3.
They foolsihly shy away from their continuation with Christ in his tribulation on earth, dodging or avoiding criticism and reprisal from the world, they succumb to secure themselves the peace and praises offered by the world to those who will call confederacy what the world calls confederacy – say ye not, a confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, a confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Isaiah 8:12-14.
The fearful and hypocites believers will go as far as to twist the scripture to deny the offense of the cross so as to be at peace with the world, they made apology on God’s behalf to sinners (church of England issues formal apology to LGBTQ members amid spat over same-sex marriage. The apology comes days after Church of England bishops said they would formally uphold traditional marriage. Fox News. Published January 22, 2023 4:58pm EST https://www.foxnews.com/world/church-england-issues-formal-apology-lgbt-members-spat-same-sex-marriage) for the higher standard of holiness required by him, thus they’re giving false eternal assurance of salvation to those who are destined to hell because of their ungodliness and unrighteousness, against which the wrath of God has been revealed from heaven. The sinners in Zion as well as sinners in Babylon shall have no peace with the true children of God as long as the word of God is true – an unjust man is an abomination to the just: and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked. Proverbs 29:27. Has not the scripture instruct us to seek peace with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart? 2 Timothy 2:22.
Should we be the Father’s pleasers or world and men’s pleasers? There can never be any spiritual peaceful co-habitation, though we should seek for such peace with those who are provoking the jealousy of his holiness by their abominable ways and lifestyles, not until they come down to the terms of divine peace. Shall sinners indeed be at peace with the upright in the way, if the upright has not compromised the standard of unequally yoked and ungodly friendship with the ever learning, but never able to come to the knowledge of truth we are commanded to turn away from, though they have a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof?
As long as two cannot walk together, except they agreed, the Egyptians will always separate and condemned the true Israel of God to dwell in the land of Goshen, for all those who are washed, cleansed, saved and led by the Great shepherd of the sheep (Christ) are abominable and thing of annoyance to the children of the wicked one – Satan.
Warn the trouble makers, fault finders and the unruly (1 Thessalonians 5:14) twice and thrice before you take action to separate from them, honour is not seemly for a fool. Proverbs 26:1. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men, – this text implies that the terms and conditions for peace with other people should be established on divine, not human terms, not on the merit of whom they are in the world, or the gift they’ve given to pervert justice and to corrupt your heart, God is no respecter of person who is not walking righteously and speaking uprightly. Romans 12:18.
Recently, I visited a family at Paris suburb. The first night of my sojourned, the Lord revealed to me how the wife of the brother removed an object from where I placed it in replacement with her own object. Though, I’m not going to go into the full details of this revelation in the physical aspect of it, I never understood the interpretation of the revelation until the sister uttered some words to give meaning to the revelation, which eventually move me into action and decision to cut off relationship with the family, if I should not engage myself in a long and unnecessary war with the sister, not her husband.
Try not to make any apology for the word of God, it is settled forever in heaven, neither argue its truth to the destruction of the hearers with anyone. Avoid dispute about the law of God, for they will end up in strife, do not strive with all men neither, for the servant of God must not strive, but gentle and peaceable, able to teach. in meekness, instructing those that opposed themselves. You should seek to live in peace with others as long as your conscience does not condemn you in God’s sight before you cut off any undeserved relationship from the unruly, restless, proud, nasty, and furious and angry man or woman in the house, and from the unreasonable wicked and foolish fellows.
Though you behave and speak peacefully, graciously and wisely, though you have come peaceably, yet, they are for war (Psalms 120:7), their hearts meditate mischief, violence, strife and terror; and their tongue utters them out, they will not be content until you learn their ungodly ways and lifestyles. Do like Abraham did with Lot, avoid a continuos strife by cutting them off and out of your life – have peace within you and enforce it around you.